The emergency of multi-drug resistant bacteria represents an ongoing public health crisis. β-Sheet antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a class of host defense peptides that potently inhibit the growth of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and are thus promising candidates for the treatment of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. Gramicidin S (GS) is a naturally occurring AMP produced by Bacillus brevis that possesses antimicrobial activity against gram-positive and gram negative bacteria as well as fungi. While GS is very potent, it also causes hemolysis of human erythrocytes resulting in high levels of toxicity. Therefore, methods for reducing toxicity of GS are needed.